Engagement and Commenting on Facebook

 

One question small business owners, particularly veterinary marketers, ask themselves is how they can be more engaged with and respond to followers on Facebook. Your GeniusVets team is here to help with that pressing question and navigate you through all the ins and outs of creating engaging content and responding to posts and comments.

Be Human!

With the changes made to the Facebook algorithm in 2018, replying to everything, including standard Likes and other Reactions, can ensure your content is seen and engaged with. This can also foster community growth from both current and potential new clients.

And don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself! Graciously point out or accept a spelling mistake on a post. Or maybe share that you wore two different shoes to work! This good humor can go a long way in giving that relatable human touch.

 

 

Complete the “About You” Section

This sounds trivial, but if you are like me, I always navigate to that section to learn more about who I might be interacting with. 

The “About You” section should include a story of who you are, including when your practice started, your core values, and a brief description of your core services. Business details, such as hours, contact information, website, and phone number will help lead potential customers to your practice.

 

 

 

Post Photos and Videos

Photos and videos are great engagement drivers and provide another unique opportunity to show authenticity.

• Behind the scenes photos or video
• Educational videos - this is where your service pages can shine!
• New patient photos, welcoming them to the practice
• Your shining star patients, those who finished a long treatment or had surgical success

When adding photos, make sure they are visually appealing as most social media users are scrollers, so give them a reason to stop and learn more. Have fun, and don’t be afraid to add a little text to graphics or photos, which can be a great way to showcase promotions.

Video is a great way to get people engaged, whether that’s via going Live (which we highly recommend) or simply uploading a recorded video. Use these videos to give a peek behind the scenes, share a team outing or event, or talk about pet care.

 

 

 

Leverage Your Cover Photo 

You are probably asking what your cover photo has to do with being engaging. Believe it or not, it can say a lot about who you are as it’s one of the first and best chances to make an impression on those who visit your Timeline.

Share images that say something about your practice:

• Team photos
• Collage of patients
• Patient room, front desk, or outside of the building
• Promotions 

 

 

Cover images should be sized so that it does not appear to be “under construction” or where the text is running off of the page. Knowing the correct size and using editors will help immensely in knowing what your image will look like before you post it.

• For business pages: 828x315 px
• Canva - excellent beginner resource for uploading photos and resizing to your needs

 

Or share a cover video. Yes!! You can now post a video as your cover, so be creative and have fun! 

• Curious cats or dogs checking things out
• Image slideshows
• Your office staff waving hello or motioning to come on in
• Timelapse style video of the staff at work

 

And before you post that cover video, choose your tools wisely. Some options help you create and edit your content, even if you are a beginner.

• Wave - Great for beginners! You can choose from stock video that you can edit with text or upload and edit your own
• Vigo Video (Formerly Flipagram) - this is a free app for both Android and iOS that allows you to make a slideshow of images

 

Have Fun!

Yes, your Facebook page is about your practice, and we encourage its use for informational and educational purposes. But fun and engaging content, plus your replies, are what will keep people coming back to learn more -- which makes them more likely to choose your practice as the one who cares for their pets.

• Give sneak peeks into changes at the practice or upcoming promos: “Guess what's behind the curtain?!”
• Appeal to future and current clients: “Right now, thousands of people are petting their dogs. Are you one of them?”
• Share the love by showcasing your patients!

Last but not Least - Reply, Reply, Reply!

Every comment someone leaves on your posts or Timeline deserves a reply, even if it's negative or not factual. One study showed that ignoring customers on social media can at least make people angry. But even worse, if a business is not responsive to social media users, more than a quarter of people said they “would stop doing business with the company completely.”

 

 

Reply to negative content:

• Greet the commenter by their first name
• Be sure to address each point back
• “Kill” with kindness - meaning kill the negative mood with a helpful attitude

 

Reply to inaccurate content:

• Do educate through response
• Don’t belittle through response
• Has the commenter or reviewer never been at your practice? Kindly let them know that you have no record of their visit but that you would be happy to be the one who can help them and their pet

 

Answer Medical Inquiries:

• Keep answers short and to the point, inviting them to visit your practice for more information
• NEVER provide public medical advice on social media! You could be missing part of the big picture, particularly without an established doctor-patient relationship. You could also be violating privacy standards, even if the pet owner initiates contact
• If necessary, take conversation such as this offline, via private messages, phone conversations, or office visits

 

Don’t forget the positive content:

• Reply to everything you can in ways that can create more engagement; ask follow-up questions or tell them you want to know more about their pet
• Typing a reply to everything can be time-consuming. One helpful tactic can be to like or use a reaction on all comments and then reply to half
• Personalize replies when you can, without giving away specific details or personal information

Want to learn more about growing your social presence and using that to grow your client base? Be sure to reach out to your Client Success Manager or schedule a GeniusVets Demo for more information. We are more than happy to help with that strategy, along with teaching you how to make expert hires and improving profitability!